Questions
by LisaJ
Summary: Jacob Carter visits the SGC and has questions about the newest team member.


Questions  
  
Cheyenne Mountain:  
  
Jacob Carter paused in the corridor outside of Jack O'Neill's office. He was not looking forward to the conversation he was about to have with the Colonel. 'He'll probably tell me to go straight to hell, but I've got to tell him what I think'. Jacob knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?," Jack called out.  
  
"It's me, " Jacob answered.  
  
The door opened. O'Neill, pleased to see his visitor, smiled broadly.  
  
"Jacob, hi, come on in, make yourself at home," he said cheerily.  
  
"This isn't really a social call, " Jacob said, following Jack into the office.  
  
Jack went back to his desk and sat down. He noticed that Jacob seemed a bit distracted, even anxious. Jack watched as the other man paced around the room.  
  
"You okay? You seem a little, I dunno, nervous or something," Jack said.   
  
Jacob turned to face him. "Jack, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, shoot," Jack said.  
  
"Can you tell me exactly what Jonas Quinn is doing on your team?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Whadaya mean by that?" Jack responded.  
  
"I've been checking him out, and I have to say I'm puzzled," Jacob said. "He doesn't seem like Air Force material, and frankly, I'm not sure I want him on the same team as Sam."  
  
"I don't think my personnel decisions are any of your business," Jack said, annoyed by Jacob's attitude.  
  
"When my daughter's safety is at stake, it IS my business," Jacob snapped. "From what you've said, this guy was at least partly responsible for Daniel's injuries, and then he tried to accuse Daniel of sabotage. How the hell did he ever land a spot on the SGC's flagship military team? How can you stand to work with him after what he's done?"  
  
"Jonas is perfectly qualified to be a member of SG1," Jack said.  
  
"Oh yeah, so what are his qualifications? Does he have any military experience, knowledge of the Goa'uld, or any scientific training?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Well, no," Jack admitted.  
  
"So what does he bring to the SGC? What's so special about Quinn that you would bypass normal procedures and let him on the team? Don't tell me there aren't plenty of Air Force officers, far more qualified than Quinn, who would love to join the SGC. Why were they passed over in favor of an alien refugee you knew nothing about? Strike that, you DID know something about Quinn. You knew he acted like a coward, you knew he tried to frame one of your men as a terrorist, you knew he was a thief, and you knew he was a traitor to his own people. I can't for the life of me understand the rationale for letting this guy anywhere near Cheyenne Mountain, much less treating him like the prodigal son," Jacob said.  
  
"Jonas told us what happened. Once he admitted that Daniel was innocent, he stole some Naquadriah for us, and he also apologized," Jack said.  
  
"Oh, he apologized, I guess that makes it all right," Jacob said with a sarcasm worthy of Jack himself. "It's okay then, for someone to steal, betray his own people, and falsely accuse a member of the SGC of sabotage as long as he says he's sorry afterwards. I didn't realize that's all it takes to qualify for the Stargate Program. I'll be sure to tell Colonel Makepeace. He can apologize too, maybe he can get his old job back," Jacob said.  
  
"Makepeace has nothing to do with this," Jack said defensively  
  
"Oh no. Jack, it seems to me that Makepeace earned a spot on death row for acting pretty much like Jonas Quinn did," Jacob said. "Since when does the USAF accept stolen property anyway? Why wasn't the Naquadriah returned to its rightful owners immediately, and the thief who stole it handed over to the proper authorities?"  
  
"What are you trying to say?" Jack snapped, his anger rising rapidly.  
  
"Jack, did it ever occur to you, General Hammond, or ANYONE at the SGC, that Jonas' story simply doesn't add up?" Jacob asked. "First I hear that he was his leader's personal assistant, then I'm told that he's really an ethicist, and don't get me started on that one. Now Sam tells me that he worked on some kind of scientific project on his planet. So which is it? Was he a full-time scientist or a politician? He couldn't have been both. Did you verify his story before letting him into the SGC?" Jacob asked.  
  
"We couldn't check his story, Jacob. We broke off diplomatic relations with the Colonans after Daniel . . ," Jack's voice trailed off.  
  
"So you took everything he said at face value, and let him roam around the most top-secret military facility on earth at will, memorizing classified material for three months. And all this was BEFORE he joined the team? Why would General Hammond deliberately create a security risk? What would you have done with Jonas if you hadn't let him join the SGC? You couldn't have risked letting him go, either on earth or off-world, not after he learned so much about us. What were you planning to do with him, Jack, lock him in a dungeon?" Jacob said.   
  
"Hey, there was no question about letting Jonas join the SGC. We wanted him from the moment he showed up," Jack said.  
  
"Jack, if I didn't know better, I'd think the lot of you had been brainwashed," Jacob said. "And tell me, why wasn't Jonas affected by the radiation from the lab accident? If he's telling the truth, shouldn't he be dead by now? Or suffering from radiation sickness at the very least. And just how did he get the Naquadriah in the first place? Don't the Colonans have any security? You're telling me they just left the stuff lying around where anybody could grab it? And how did he get it through the gate? Are you seriously suggesting that a paranoid, highly militarized government would allow someone to load up on an extremely valuable mineral and walk through the gate to another world and hand it over to a bunch of aliens? Anyway, why would he trust the human race with such a dangerous substance? For all he knows we could create a weapon with it and use it on the Colonans. Why would he think we'd be any wiser than his own people? It doesn't make any sense," Jacob continued. "What's to stop him from abandoning the SGC if he meets another group of aliens he likes better? After all, he wasn't loyal to his own people, so why do you all assume he'll stay loyal to us?"  
  
"Jonas would never do that. He's a part of the SGC now. Jacob, there's gotta be a logical explanation for everything," Jack said.  
  
"Like what?" Jacob said, refusing to let Jack off the hook. "And you still haven't answered my question about why Jonas was allowed to treat the base like his own personal playground."  
  
"We had good reasons for allowing Jonas full access to the SGC," Jack retorted.  
  
"Oh really. Come on Jack, clue me in. What were they?" Jacob replied.  
  
"He, he, damnit Jacob. General Hammond had his reasons," Jack spluttered.  
  
"You mean you can't think of any," Jacob said. "I'm sorry Jack, George has been a friend of mine for over thirty years, but this whole situation stinks. If I didn't know him better I'd think Quinn bribed his way onto the team."  
  
"You're only against Jonas because of Daniel," Jack countered.  
  
"This isn't about Daniel, Jack. Yes, I was very fond of Dr. Jackson, and I'll admit I feel some resentment towards Jonas because of his role in Daniel's injuries. But there's a lot more to it than that. There are too many holes in his story for me to trust him. Too many unanswered questions. And just for the record, I'd feel the same way if it had been you, Teal'c, Major Davis or even Siler. Hell, I'd feel the same way if it had been the chevron guy. You don't have to have been a huge fan of Daniel to dislike Jonas Quinn," Jacob said.  
  
"Nobody but you has any doubts about Jonas," Jack said.  
  
"If that's true, then why are you so defensive?" Jacob said.  
  
"I'm not being defensive," Jack insisted.   
  
"Well you certainly sound like it. Jack, don't be to proud to admit you made a mistake. I know things got chaotic when Daniel, well you know, and both you and George were under a lot of pressure. I've made mistakes myself under those kinds of circumstances," Jacob said.  
  
"Jacob, what exactly are you implying about Jonas?" Jack said.  
  
"Jack, did you ever consider the possibility that Jonas might be a plant?" Jacob asked. "Think about it for a minute, it makes sense."  
  
Furious, Jack rose. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth one of my men," he said.   
  
"Don't worry, Colonel, I was just leaving," Jacob said. "I'm returning to Ravenna to try to salvage items from the old Tok'ra base. Just think about it, Jack, that's all I ask." Jacob departed, leaving Jack alone.  
  
After Jacob left Jack sat for some time, lost in thought. 'Jacob's nuts. Jonas isn't a plant. Oh for crying out loud, I can't believe I'm even considering the idea. He's proven his worth to the team. He saved our lives on the sunken spaceship. Of course he also saved his own ass too,' a little voice in his mind said. 'If he were a spy, wouldn't he want to do something heroic to lull our suspicions? No, I don't believe it,' Jack thought. 'Then why wasn't Jonas arrested for treason the instant he returned to Colona? If he'd been a Russian defector, he'd have been stood up against the nearest wall and shot five minutes after he arrived. So why did he take the risk of returning? Wait a minute, the Colonans knew our Stargate program was a secret. How did they know that? Daniel wouldn't have revealed information like that to aliens, he knew better, and neither would Sam or Teal'c. No one else from the SGC has had any contact with the Colonans since Daniel's accident. The only one who could given them that information was Jonas.'  
  
Restless, Jack got up and paced around the room.  
  
'All right, all right, so Jacob made some good points. It IS a little weird that we were so quick to accept Jonas into the SGC, and Hammond did violate SOP by letting Jonas have full access to the base and Daniel's journals. Its not like we let just anyone wander around Cheyenne Mountain. Geez, I remember how pissed off George was when Daniel told Catherine about the revived Stargate project, and she had worked on it for years. Okay, Jacob's right about that one. And its true, there ARE a lot of people more qualified to join SG1 than Jonas. Even Daniel's assistant Nyan would have been a more logical choice, come to think of it. He's spent years learning Daniel's job, and he proved himself by saving our lives on Bedrosia. Yeah, that's right, when things heated up, Nyan put his own life on the line to save us, he didn't run for cover like you know who. I really can't picture Jonas diving in front of a staff blast to save my life the way Daniel did on Abydos.'   
  
At the thought of Daniel, a wave of grief suddenly overwhelmed Jack. 'God, I miss him. I'd give anything to have him back.' It's been nearly a year, why am I feeling so bad now?' Jack wondered. 'I hardly felt anything at the time. Christ, I even told Carter to suck it up, that we lose people all the time. I know she was mad at me, but that's exactly how I felt at the time, and Daniel was one of the best friends I ever had. Jesus, he saved my life more than once, and all I could tell him as he lay there, dying in agony, was 'I admire you'. What the hell was wrong with me?' Jack thought, guilt washing over him. 'I've hardly thought about him since. Come to think of it, no one, not Teal'c or Sam, or Hammond, Fraizer or anybody else has even mentioned his name in months. God, the only one who acted like he even remembered Daniel was Quinn.'  
  
Jack sat down again, his agitation momentarily quieted.  
  
'Okay, so I didn't like Quinn and I didn't want him on the team. I even called him a lying, incompetent, coward to his face. But I like him now, don't I? All right, be honest with yourself pal. I don't like Quinn. In fact, I think he's a smarmy little weasel, and I trust him about as far as I can throw an elephant.' Jack thought. 'So why did I let him on the team? Yeah, I didn't want a Russian, but why didn't I just insist that Hammond find me someone from the USAF I could live with? No, instead I let a guy who'd already proved himself to be untrustworthy to join the team. What the hell was I thinking? Could Jacob be right? Christ, if he is then I'm the biggest idiot who ever lived,' Jack thought.   
  
Jack got up and poured himself a glass of water. Sitting down again, he continued to analyze the situation. 'But Jacob still shouldn't have implied that Jonas bribed his way on the team. I know George, and he wouldn't have let his judgment be affected just because Jonas brought him a present. Anyway it's a good thing we didn't spend too much time around that Naquadriah stuff, or WE might have gone nutso like the professor,' Jack mused. Suddenly he jumped out of his chair. 'The Naquadriah, oh my god, the Naquadriah.'  
  
Jack shook himself. Feeling as if he had finally woken up after a long sleep, he called Carter.   
  
"Carter," he said.  
  
"Yes sir?" Sam responded.  
  
"I want you to come to my house tonight, bring Fraizer and Teal'c with you," Jack said.  
  
"But what about Jonas?" Sam asked.  
  
"No, Carter I most definitely DON'T want Quinn there, and do not under any circumstances let him know where you're going tonight," Jack said.   
  
"Sir, is there something I should know about?" Sam asked, baffled.  
  
"I'll explain later," Jack said.  
  
****************  
  
Later that night, Jack recounted his conversation with Jacob Carter and the doubts that now filled his mind to a stunned audience.   
  
Sam was the first to break the silence. "Sir, I know my father is usually right, but to suggest Jonas is a spy? That's ridiculous."  
  
"Is it Carter? Think back, didn't we accept his story a little too easily?" Jack said.  
  
The three sat lost in thought, mentally reviewing the events of the last few months.  
  
"Oh my god, you're right, sir," Sam said, realization dawning. "It does make a lot of sense."  
  
"I've been getting a creepy feeling around him for a couple of weeks now," Janet admitted.  
  
"I thought it was just me," Sam said. "I've been feeling so guilty because of that. I've even tried to be extra nice to him to make up for it."  
  
"You are not the only one, MajorCarter," Teal'c said. "I too, have had my suspicions regarding JonasQuinn, but as every other inhabitant of the SGC welcomed him with 'widespread limbs' I believed myself to be unfairly prejudiced against him because of his role in DanielJackson's injuries."   
  
"What I can't figure out, is how we could all have been fooled by him," Sam said.  
  
"I have a theory about that," Jack said. His three companions gawked at him, attempting to conceal their collective surprise.  
  
"Yes, I do," Jack said, slightly peevishly. "I think it's the Naquadriah."  
  
"The Naquadriah?" Sam said, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Remember The Nutty Professor? Didn't he go bonzo because he spent too much time around the stuff? Well, maybe smaller doses can cause people to act weird, you know, warp their judgment or something? Come on, people, what the hell else could explain it?" Jack said.  
  
"That actually makes sense," Janet said. "We now know that Naquadriah can cause hallucinations after prolonged exposure. I suppose it's possible that a low dose could affect human mental functioning."  
  
Vindicated, Jack smiled triumphantly. Sam looked thoughtful, while Teal'c appeared offended.  
  
"My symbiote would protect me from any ill effects of the Naquadriah," Teal'c said, objecting to the idea that his mind could be affected against his will.  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure Teal'c," Dr. Fraizer said. "We don't know very much about the effects Naquadriah has upon the mental functioning of a human being, let alone a Jaffa. It could have affected you as well," she said.   
  
"Then why has not JonasQuinn fallen prey to the insidious effects of the mineral?" Teal'c asked.  
  
"Maybe he has a natural immunity," Sam said.  
  
"It is possible. Jonas' physiology IS different than ours in several respects," Dr. Fraizer said. "He could be far more resistant to the effects of the Naquadriah than we are."  
  
"You've convinced me," Sam said.  
  
"And I, as well," Teal'c said.  
  
"The question is kids, how are we going to convince Hammond?" Jack said.  
  
********************  
  
General Hammond's office:  
  
"Permission to speak freely sir," Jack said.  
  
"Granted," General Hammond replied.  
  
"Sir, I know you think I haven't fully accepted Jonas on the team. Ok, I haven't. And you may think this is affecting my judgment. But I have to tell you that something is really off about that guy. When we returned to Colona, why didn't they immediately take him into custody, sir? Who would let a traitor come waltzing back without arresting him?" Jack said. "Why wasn't he affected by the radiation? Where did he get the Naquadriah from, and how did he get it through the gate? Do you realize that no one's ever really questioned his version of events. We just accepted his story at face value and let him walk all over this base like he owned the place. Don't you think that's just a little odd?"  
  
"Colonel, why are you now coming to me with these questions?   
  
"I gotta be honest with you sir. I didn't think of these things. It was Jacob Carter who pointed them out to me," Jack said. "He also said that we've been acting like we were brainwashed or something. I gotta say, I was pissed as hell when he said that, but when I thought about it for a while, I had to admit he had a point."   
  
Hammond sighed. To Jack's astonishment, rather than becoming angry, or incredulous, the General seemed relieved.   
  
"Colonel, you're not the only one who's been having second thoughts about Quinn. For the last few days I've been feeling very uneasy, as if I knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite figure out what it was," Hammond said. "You may laugh at this, but the other night I watched a movie on cable, "The Talented Mr. Ripley". I don't know if you've seen it, but it's the story of a young man who murders another man and assumes his identity, essentially stealing his life. After it ended, I kept thinking about Dr. Jackson and Jonas Quinn."  
  
"You're in good Company, General. It turns out that a lot of people have had doubts about Quinn, but kept quiet," Jack said.  
  
"But why? Why would everyone at the SGC first accept him, and then, now, months later, become suspicious?" General Hammond asked.  
  
"Jacob claims we're acting like we've been brainwashed," Jack said.  
  
"Colonel, how could everyone in Cheyenne Mountain been brainwashed?" General Hammond said.  
  
"I came up with a theory," Jack said, ignoring Hammond's startled look. "We might have been affected by the Naquadriah Jonas brought with him. Remember that professor of his? Look at how screwy he got after being around that stuff for too long. Fraizer thinks that mild exposure might act in a manner similar to Mishta, you know, that stuff the Goa'uld use to make humans more compliant," Jack said.  
  
"If you're right we've all been compromised for months," General Hammond said. "But I need more. I can't order a member of the SGC into a holding cell without any proof," General Hammond said.  
  
"All right, how about this. During our visit to Colona, one of them slipped up and mentioned that OUR gate program was a secret. How would he have known that unless Jonas told them? There's no way they could have gotten that information from anyone else," Jack said.  
  
Hammond was silent for several moments. Finally he spoke. "Colonel, this may cost me my career, but I believe you're right." Picking up the phone, he contacted security. "Sergeant, have Jonas Quinn escorted to a holding cell immediately," he said. Turning to O'Neill, he said "Jack, I hope we haven't made an irreparable mistake."  
  
Cheyenne Mountain - Holding Cell:  
  
Dr. Fraizer, General Hammond and the members of SG1 stood outside the bars. Inside the cell, Jonas Quinn sat facing them, seemingly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.  
  
"I don't understand," Jonas complained, wearing a look of injured innocence. "Why are you doing this to me? Aren't I a member of SC1? Teal'c, help me, we're friends," Jonas pleaded.  
  
"Drop the innocent act, Quinn. It's over, we're on to you," Jack said. "Contrary to public opinion, I'm not a COMPLETE idiot."  
  
Jonas' expression changed. Gone was his habitual vacuous smile and too-eager-to-please demeanor. For the first time, the assembled group saw a strong, highly intelligent, forceful man instead of a naive, slightly bumbling youth.   
  
"I see the effects of the Naquadriah wore off sooner than I anticipated," Jonas said. "Pity, I was expecting to have a few more months before you caught on. Congratulations, Colonel, you've managed to spoil my plans."  
  
"So it was all a scam then. The whole thing was a hoax from start to finish. The explosion, the attempts to blame Daniel. Then the phony contrition, the escape to earth, the sob story 'oh poor me, I'm a refugee, I can't ever go back to my world, please give me asylum, and let me join the SGC'," Jack said.   
  
"Something like that," Jonas admitted.   
  
"You sacrificed DanielJackson to obtain your goals," Teal'c said, his expression increasingly threatening as he moved closer to the cell door.  
  
"I did what needed to be done. It's funny, I honestly liked Dr. Jackson. I was actually expecting Major Carter to be the one to tour the lab. That's why I spent so much time learning about astrophysics beforehand. It was a real chore, having to spend three months memorizing all that archaeological information. Unfortunately, it slowed down my acceptance onto the SGC by weeks," Jonas said, glancing at Sam.   
  
Sam flinched. 'My god, it was supposed to have been me,' she thought, horrified. Aware of her distress, Teal'c stood beside her.  
  
"Some of your own people died in that lab," Jack said.  
  
"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I believe you people have a saying, 'You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs'," Jonas answered.  
  
"You're nothing but a cold-blooded killer," Jack said.  
  
"No, Colonel, I'm a patriot, and from what I've learned about your personal history, you're in no position to criticize me. Everything I've done has been for my people. Don't tell me your government wouldn't have acted the same," Jonas said.  
  
Jack was silent. 'He's probably right, much as I don't want to admit it. Let's face it, I'm not exactly a choirboy when it comes to covert ops,' he thought.   
  
"Can I ask what you've got planned for me?" Jonas said.  
  
"You're going to take a little trip back to Area 51. However, this time you're not going to be a guest of honor. I'm afraid the NID boys won't be too friendly," General Hammond said.  
  
"I knew the risks when I accepted the assignment," Jonas said, shrugging.  
  
******************  
  
Later, after Quinn had been taken away, O'Neill and General Hammond retreated to Hammond's office to discuss the situation.  
  
"Much as it pains me to say it, I actually feel more respect for Quinn now than I ever did," Jack grudgingly admitted.   
  
"I know what you mean, Colonel," General Hammond said. "I only hope that the SGC wasn't too badly compromised."  
  
"Well, at least the worst is over," Jack said.  
  
"No, Jack, the worst isn't over yet," Hammond said.  
  
"Whadaya mean?" Jack asked, a note of bewilderment in his voice. "Jonas is in custody, we now know about the effects of the Naquadriah, and according to security, Jonas wasn't able to pass on anything too strategic to the Colonans."  
  
"Think about it for a minute, Jack," Hammond responded. "Do you realize that you're going to have to admit to Jacob Carter that he was right?"   
  
Jack groaned. "Peachy, George, just peachy."  
  
The End. 


End file.
